Apparatus and methods for wireless gaming communications

ABSTRACT

A method of connecting a wireless device to an electronic gaming machine is described. The method includes broadcasting, though a wireless transceiver of the gaming machine, a discovery message to wireless communication devices within a broadcast range of the wireless transceiver. The method further includes receiving, at the wireless transceiver, a response message from the wireless device. The method includes establishing, by the gaming machine, a wireless connection between the wireless device and the gaming machine. The method further includes requesting, by the gaming machine, a player identification and player preferences of a user of the wireless device. The method includes receiving, from the wireless device, the player identification and player preferences of the user. The method further includes broadcasting, through the wireless transceiver, an audio message customized for the user to the wireless device.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of, claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/160,042, filed on Jan.21, 2014, which is a continuation of, claims priority to and the benefitof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/172,951, filed on Jul. 14, 2008,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,632,403, which is a continuation of, claims priorityto and the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/937,990, filedon Sep. 10, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,513, each of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entireties for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This patent is directed to a wireless casino gaming communication devicefor communication with a gaming unit, which could be either anindividual gaming unit or a casino gaming system having a plurality ofgaming units.

A gaming apparatus of the type used in casinos has included a displayunit such as a video display unit or a set of mechanical slot machinereels, a value input device such as a coin slot or paper currencyreader, and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and thevalue input device and having a processor and a memory operativelycoupled to the processor. The controller was programmed to control theoverall functions of the gaming machine, including generating gamedisplays representing one or more of a number of casino games, such aspoker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0176218 to LeMay et al.discloses a player tracking system that may use a smart card, electronictoken or magnetically striped cards as an authentication instrument. Theauthentication instrument may be input to a gaming machine toauthenticate and provide an audit trail. U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2003/0054881 to Hedrick et al. discloses a wirelessremote control and interface in communication with a player trackingunit to convey gaming information. U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2003/0232647 to Moser discloses a player tracking system that mayuse radio frequency identification (RFID) to locate and track a player'sactivities. When the RFID is within receiving range of a gaming machine,the gaming machine transmits an identification query causing the RFID tobroadcast the radio identification. U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2003/0148812 to Paulsen et al. discloses a wireless player trackingsystem that uses a global positioning system to locate a player andreceive player data via a wireless device carried by a player, such as acell phone, personal digital assistant or RFID. U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,939to Paulsen discloses a wireless personal gaming device with a displayscreen that may wirelessly receive game data from a gaming system anddisplay a game.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming system which mayinclude a wireless communication device and a gaming apparatus. Thewireless communication device may include a first wireless transceiverand a first controller operatively coupled to the first wirelesstransceiver. The first controller may include a first processor and afirst memory operatively coupled to the first processor. The firstcontroller may be programmed to establish a bidirectional wirelesscommunication link with the gaming apparatus when in proximity to thegaming apparatus, to receive a voice command relating to a first gamingfunction, to transmit data relating to the first gaming function to thegaming apparatus via the first wireless transceiver, and to receive datarelating to a second gaming function from the gaming apparatus via thefirst wireless transceiver. The gaming apparatus may include a displayunit, a second wireless transceiver and a second controller operativelycoupled to the display unit and the second wireless transceiver. Thesecond controller may include a second processor and a second memoryoperatively coupled to the second processor. The second controller maybe programmed to receive the first gaming function data via the secondwireless transceiver, to execute a first gaming function based on thefirst gaming function data, to transmit the second gaming function datato the wireless communication device via the second wirelesstransceiver, to cause the display unit to generate a game display, andto determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game. Thegame display may relate to poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus whichmay include a display unit, a value input device, a wirelesstransceiver, and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit,the value input device and the wireless transceiver. The controller mayinclude a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor.The controller may be programmed to establish a bidirectional wirelesscommunication link with a wireless communication apparatus, when inproximity to the wireless communication apparatus, to receive datarelating to a first gaming function from the wireless communicationdevice via the wireless transceiver, to execute a first gaming functionin response to the first gaming function data, to transmit data relatingto a second gaming function to the wireless communication device via thewireless transceiver, to cause the display unit to generate a gamedisplay, and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome ofthe game. The first gaming function data may relate to a voice command.The game display may relate to poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.

In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a gamingcommunication apparatus which may include a microphone, a wirelesstransceiver and a controller operatively coupled to the microphone andthe wireless transceiver. The controller may include a processor and amemory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may beprogrammed to establish a bidirectional wireless communication link witha gaming apparatus when in proximity to the gaming apparatus, to receivea voice command relating to a first gaming function, to transmit datarelating to the first gaming function to the gaming apparatus via thewireless transceiver, and to receive data relating to a second gamingfunction from the gaming apparatus via the wireless transceiver.

In a yet a further aspect, the invention is directed to a gamingcommunication method which may include establishing a bidirectionalwireless communication link with a first wireless transceiver when inproximity to the first wireless transceiver, receiving a voice commandrelating to a first gaming function, executing a function in response tothe voice command, transmitting data relating to a first gaming functionto the first wireless transceiver via a second wireless transceiver, andreceiving data relating to a second gaming function via the secondwireless transceiver.

Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of thispatent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a gaming system inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the gaming unitsshown schematically in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a control panel for a gaming unit;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic components of the gamingunit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the electrical components of the wirelesscommunication device shown schematically in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view an embodiment the wireless communicationdevice shown schematically in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view an alternative embodiment the wirelesscommunication device shown schematically in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a setup routine that may beperformed by the wireless communication device;

FIG. 5A is a flowchart of an embodiment of a locating routine that maybe performed by the gaming unit;

FIG. 5B is a flowchart of a response routine that may be performed bythe wireless communication device;

FIG. 5C is a flowchart of a silence routine that may be performed by thewireless communication device;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may beperformed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 6A is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of a main routinethat may be performed during operation of one or more of the gamingunits;

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a communication session routine that may beperformed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 6C is a flowchart of the game session routine 300 that may beperformed during operation of the wireless communication device;

FIG. 6D is a flowchart of a control routine that may be performed duringoperation of the wireless communication device;

FIG. 6E is a flowchart of a control routine that may be performed duringoperation of one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the video poker routine of FIG. 9;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the video blackjack routine of FIG.10;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video poker routine that maybe performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video blackjack routinethat may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the slots routine of FIG. 13;

FIG. 12 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the video keno routine of FIG. 14;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a slots routine that may beperformed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that maybe performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 15 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that maybe displayed during performance of the video bingo routine of FIG. 16;and

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video bingo routine thatmay be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a communication session termination routinethat may be performed during operation of one or more of the gamingunits; and

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an alternative communication sessiontermination routine that may be performed during operation of one ormore of the gaming units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the following text sets forth a detailed description ofnumerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understoodthat the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of theclaims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description isto be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possibleembodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodimentwould be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternativeembodiments could be implemented, using either current technology ortechnology developed after the filing date of this patent, which wouldstill fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.

It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined inthis patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ ishereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intentto limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication,beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not beinterpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in anysection of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To theextent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent isreferred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning,that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader,and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implicationor otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element isdefined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recitalof any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim elementbe interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. .sctn.112, sixthparagraph.

FIG. 1 illustrates one possible embodiment of a casino gaming system 10in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the casino gamingsystem 10 may include a first group or network 12 of casino gaming units20 operatively coupled to a network computer 22 via a network data linkor bus 24. The casino gaming system 10 may include a second group ornetwork 26 of casino gaming units 30 operatively coupled to a networkcomputer 32 via a network data link or bus 34. The first and secondgaming networks 12, 26 may be operatively coupled to each other via anetwork 40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide areanetwork (WAN), or a local area network (LAN) via a first network link 42and a second network link 44. The casino gaming system 10 may furtherinclude several wireless communication devices 46 capable ofbidirectional wireless communication with the gaming units 20, 30 or thenetwork computers 22, 32. Although only one wireless communicationdevice 46 is shown, it should be understood that multiple wirelesscommunication devices 46 may be used, including a wireless communicationdevice 46 for each player in the casino.

The first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a firstcasino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided ina second casino located in a separate geographic location than the firstcasino. For example, the two casinos may be located in different areasof the same city, or they may be located in different states. Thenetwork 40 may include a plurality of network computers or servercomputers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected.Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data communication may takeplace over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet communicationprotocol.

The network computer 22 may be a server computer and may be used toaccumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gamingunits 20. For example, the network computer 22 may continuously receivedata from each of the gaming units 20 indicative of the dollar amountand number of wagers being made on each of the gaming units 20, dataindicative of how much each of the gaming units 20 is paying out inwinnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of playersplaying each of the gaming units 20, etc. The network computer 32 may bea server computer and may be used to perform the same or differentfunctions in relation to the gaming units 30 as the network computer 22described above.

Although each network 12, 26 is shown to include one network computer22, 32 and four gaming units 20, 30, it should be understood thatdifferent numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized. Forexample, the network 12 may include a plurality of network computers 22and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all of which may beinterconnected via the data link 24. The data link 24 may be provided asa dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although the data link 24is shown as a single data link 24, the data link 24 may comprisemultiple data links.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of one or moreof the gaming units 20. Although the following description addresses thedesign of the gaming units 20, it should be understood that the gamingunits 30 may have the same design as the gaming units 20 describedbelow. It should be understood that the design of one or more of thegaming units 20 may be different than the design of other gaming units20, and that the design of one or more of the gaming units 30 may bedifferent than the design of other gaming units 30. Each gaming unit 20may be any type of casino gaming unit and may have various differentstructures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, variousdesigns of the gaming units 20 are described below, but it should beunderstood that numerous other designs may be utilized.

Referring to FIG. 2, the casino gaming unit 20 may include a housing orcabinet 50 and one or more input devices, which may include a coin slotor acceptor 52, a paper currency acceptor 54, a ticket reader/printer56, a card reader 58 and a wireless transceiver (not shown) which may beused to input value to the gaming unit 20. A value input device mayinclude any device that can accept value from a customer. As usedherein, the term “value” may encompass gaming tokens, coins, papercurrency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, smart cards, and anyother object representative of value.

If provided on the gaming unit 20, the ticket reader/printer 56 may beused to read and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60. Theticket vouchers 60 may be composed of paper or another printable orencodable material and may have one or more of the followinginformational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, thetype of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with controland/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticketvoucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of anaward, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable.Different types of ticket vouchers 60 could be used, such as bonusticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticketvouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers,restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. The ticketvouchers 60 could be printed with an optically readable material such asink, or data on the ticket vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded.The ticket reader/printer 56 may be provided with the ability to bothread and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may be provided with theability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers 60. In thelatter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticketprinters 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which couldthen be used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticketreaders 56.

If provided, the card reader 58 may include any type of card readingdevice, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, andmay be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as acredit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player trackingpurposes, the card reader 58 may be used to read data from, and/or writedata to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing datarepresenting the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, theplayer's gaming habits, etc. In addition to, or as an alternative to,the card reader 58, a wireless transceiver may be provided. The wirelesstransceiver may include any type of communication device capable ofwireless bidirectional radio communication with a wireless communicationdevice, such as Bluetooth device or other wireless personal area network(WPAN) device, a cellular device, wireless fidelity (WiFi) or otherwireless local area network (WLAN) device, etc. Although the wirelessbidirectional communication may include any wireless technology, in oneexample short range radio links, such as a WPAN, may be utilized tomaintain wireless transmissions between the gaming unit 20 and thewireless communication device, rather than broadcast the wirelesstransmissions over a broader area (e.g., with multiple gaming units 20).

The gaming unit 20 may include one or more audio speakers 62, a coinpayout tray 64, an input control panel 66, and a display unit 70. Wherethe gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video casinogame, such as video poker or video slots, the display unit 70 may be acolor video display unit that displays images relating to the particulargame or games. Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate playof a reel-type slot machine, the display unit 70 may comprise aplurality of mechanical reels that are rotatable, with each of the reelshaving a plurality of reel images disposed thereon. The audio speakers62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinningslot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any otheraudio related to a casino game. The input control panel 66 may beprovided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas thatmay be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gamingdecisions, etc.

FIG. 2A illustrates one possible embodiment of the control panel 66,which may be used where the gaming unit 20 is a slot machine having aplurality of mechanical or “virtual” reels. Referring to FIG. 2A, if thedisplay unit 70 is provided in the form of a video display unit, thecontrol panel 66 may include a “See Pays” button 72 that, whenactivated, causes the display unit 70 to generate one or more displayscreens showing the odds or payout information for the game or gamesprovided by the gaming unit 20. As used herein, the term “button” isintended to encompass any device that allows a player to make an input,such as an input device that must be depressed to make an inputselection or a display area that a player may simply touch. The controlpanel 66 may include a “Cash Out” button 74 that may be activated when aplayer decides to terminate play on the gaming unit 20, in which casethe gaming unit 20 may return value to the player, such as by returninga number of coins to the player via the payout tray 64.

If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reelsand a plurality of paylines which define winning combinations of reelsymbols, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality ofselection buttons 76, each of which allows the player to select adifferent number of paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example,five buttons 76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player toselect one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.

If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels,the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selectionbuttons 78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount foreach payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted bythe gaming unit 20 is a quarter ($0.25), the gaming unit 20 may beprovided with five selection buttons 78, each of which may allow aplayer to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager foreach payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the“5” button 76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the nextspin of the reels) and then activate the “3” button 78 (meaning thatthree coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be$3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).

The control panel 66 may include a “Max Bet” button 80 to allow a playerto make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example,where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could bewagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45quarters, or $11.25. The control panel 66 may include a spin button 82to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots gameafter a wager has been made.

In FIG. 2A, a rectangle is shown around the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80,82. It should be understood that that rectangle simply designates, forease of reference, an area in which the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82may be located. Consequently, the term “control panel” should not beconstrued to imply that a panel or plate separate from the housing 50 ofthe gaming unit 20 is required, and the term “control panel” mayencompass a plurality or grouping of player activatable buttons.

Although one possible control panel 66 is described above, it should beunderstood that different buttons could be utilized in the control panel66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or gamesthat could be played on the gaming unit 20. If the display unit 70 isprovided as a video display unit, the control panel 66 could begenerated by the display unit 70. In that case, each of the buttons ofthe control panel 66 could be a colored area generated by the displayunit 70, and some type of mechanism may be associated with the displayunit 70 to detect when each of the buttons was touched, such as atouch-sensitive screen.

Gaming Unit Electronics

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a number of components that may beincorporated in the gaming unit 20. Referring to FIG. 3, the gaming unit20 may include a controller 100 that may comprise a program memory 102,a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 104, a random-access memory(RAM) 106 and an input/output (I/O) circuit 108, all of which may beinterconnected via an address/data bus 110. It should be appreciatedthat although only one microprocessor 104 is shown, the controller 100may include multiple microprocessors 104. Similarly, the memory of thecontroller 100 may include multiple RAMs 106 and multiple programmemories 102. Although the I/O circuit 108 is shown as a single block,it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit 108 may include a numberof different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s) 104 and program memories102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readablememories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.

Although the program memory 102 is shown in FIG. 3 as a read-only memory(ROM) 102, the program memory of the controller 100 may be a read/writeor alterable memory, such as a hard disk. In the event a hard disk isused as a program memory, the address/data bus 110 shown schematicallyin FIG. 3 may comprise multiple address/data buses, which may be ofdifferent types, and there may be an I/O circuit disposed between theaddress/data buses.

FIG. 3 illustrates that the control panel 66, the coin acceptor 52, thebill acceptor 54, the card reader 58 and the ticket reader/printer 56may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 108, each of thosecomponents being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional,single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the designof the component that is used. The speaker(s) 62 may be operativelycoupled to a sound circuit 112, that may comprise a voice- andsound-synthesis circuit or that may comprise a driver circuit. Thesound-generating circuit 112 may be coupled to the I/O circuit 108. Awireless transceiver 114 may also be coupled to the I/O circuit 108 forwireless communication, such as those described above, with the wirelesscommunication device 46.

As shown in FIG. 3, the components 52, 54, 56, 58, 66, 112, 114 may beconnected to the I/O circuit 108 via a respective direct line orconductor. Different connection schemes could be used. For example, oneor more of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be connected to the I/Ocircuit 108 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by anumber of components. Furthermore, some of the components may bedirectly connected to the microprocessor 104 without passing through theI/O circuit 108.

Wireless Communicator Electronics

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a number of components that may beincorporated in the wireless communication device 46. Referring to FIG.4, wireless communication device 46 may include a wireless controller120 that may comprise a program memory 121, a microcontroller ormicroprocessor (MP) 122, a random access memory (RAM) 123 and aninput/output (I/O) circuit 124, all of which may be interconnected viaan address/data bus 125. It should be appreciated that although only onemicroprocessor 122 is shown, the wireless controller 120 may includemultiple microprocessors 122. Similarly, the memory of the wirelesscontroller 120 may include multiple RAMs 123 and multiple programmemories 121. Although the I/O circuit 124 is shown as a single block,it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit 124 may include a numberof different types of I/O circuits. The RAMs 123 end program memories121 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readablememories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.

Although the program memory 121 is shown in FIG. 4 as a read only memory(ROM) 121, the program memory of the wireless controller 120 may be aread/write or alterable memory, such as a hard disk. In the event a harddisk is used as a program memory, the address/data bus 125 shownschematically in FIG. 4 may comprise multiple address/data busses, whichmay be of different types, and there may be an I/O circuit disposedbetween the address/data busses.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the wireless communication device 46 may furtherinclude a microphone 126, a wireless transceiver 127 and a sound circuit128, each of which may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 124 byeither a unidirectional or bidirectional, single line or multiple linedata link, which may depend on the design of the component that is used.In addition, the wireless communication device 46 may include a speaker129 which may be operatively coupled to the sound circuit 128, that maycomprise a voice- and sound-synthesis circuit or that may comprise adriver circuit. The microphone 126 may be capable of receiving sounds,including voice commands from the player, and converting those soundsinto data signals to be interpreted by the controller 120.

The wireless transceiver 127 may be capable of sending and receivingdata via a wireless communication with the gaming unit 20 via anantenna. The antenna may be a directional antenna having limited powerand range to direct the wireless communication towards a particularreceiver, such as the gaming unit 20, and avoid interference andcommunications with other wireless receivers, such as other gaming units20. Alternatively, or in addition, the antenna may be anomni-directional antenna having greater power and range to communicatewith multiple wireless receivers, such as multiple gaming units 20,network computers 22, kiosks, wireless nodes or other wireless accesspoints. In one example, the wireless communication device 46 may switchbetween a high power, high range omni-directional mode of operation to alimited power, limited range directional mode of operation, and viceversa, which may depend on whether the wireless communication device 46is engaging in broadcast communications or engaging in a communicationsession with a particular wireless access point, as disclosed furtherbelow. The wireless transceiver 127 may be capable of sending andreceiving wireless data signals over a wide spectrum of frequencies,including those frequencies utilized by the wireless transceiver 114 ofthe gaming unit 20. The wireless transceiver 127 of the wirelesscommunication device 46 may further be capable of communicating withadditional wireless transceivers positioned throughout a casino whichmay be found in various devices including, but not limited to, networkcomputers 22, kiosks, wireless nodes or other wireless access points.

As shown in FIG. 4, the components 126, 127, 128 may be connected to theI/O circuit 124 by a respective direct line or conductor. Differentconnection schemes could be used. For example, one or more of thecomponent shown in FIG. 4 may be connected to the I/O circuit 124 via acommon bus or other data link that is shared by a number of components.Furthermore, some of the components may be directly connected to themicroprocessor 122 without passing thorough the I/O circuit 124. One ormore buttons (not shown) may likewise be operatively coupled to the I/Ocircuit 124. The buttons may be used for various functions, includingturning the wireless communication device 46 on or off, initiating asilence mode to no longer receive wireless communications, adjustvolume, etc. One or more light emitting displays (LEDs) (not shown) orother visual indicators may also be operatively coupled to the I/Ocircuit 124. The LEDs may be utilized to provides visual indication ofbattery life, mode of operation (e.g., broadcast, silence, etc.),assistance request, volume, power, etc.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views of two possible embodiments of oneor more of the wireless communication devices 46. Although the followingdescription addresses the design of the wireless communication device46, it should be understood that the design of one or more of thewireless communication devices 46 may be different than the design ofother wireless communication devices. Each wireless communication device46 may be any type of wireless communication device and may have variousdifferent structures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes,various designs of the wireless communication devices 46 are describedbelow, but it should be understood that numerous other designs may beutilized. For example, additional designs not shown may include alanyard device that may be worn around a player's neck, such as apendant on a rope or chain. Alternatively, the wireless communicationdevice 46 may be designed to be worn on the player's wrist, or may beremoveably affixed to the player's clothing, such as a broach or lapelpin.

Referring to FIG. 4A, one example of the wireless communication device46A may include a microphone 126A and a speaker 129A. The wirelesscommunication device 46B may further include a housing which may be usedto house the wireless controller 120, the wireless transceiver 127 andthe sound circuit 128. The speaker 129A may be provided as an earpiecethat may be positioned over or within the player's ear. The wirelesscommunication device 46A may be provided with such weight and size as tobe easily worn by the player by positioning the wireless communicationdevice 46A on and/or partially within the player's ear, such that themicrophone 126A is positioned towards the player's mouth to receivevoice commands and the speaker 129A is positioned over or in theplayer's ear to receive sounds.

Referring to FIG. 4B, a wireless communication device 46B may include amicrophone 126B and a speaker 129B. The wireless communication device46B may further include a housing which may be used to house thewireless controller 120, the wireless transceiver 127 and the soundcircuit 128. As in the example above, the speaker 129B may be positionedover or within the player's ear, with the microphone 126B positionedtowards the player's mouth to receive voice commands. As shown in FIG.4B, the wireless communication device 46B may be designed so as to fitover the player's head, which may be an alternative to fitting thewireless communication device 46B over and/or partially within theplayer's ear as in FIG. 4B.

Overall Operation of Wireless Communications

One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or moreof the gaming units 30), may communicate with the wireless communicationdevice 46 is described below in connection with a number of flowchartswhich represent a number of portions or routines of one or more computerprograms, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of thecontroller 100 or the wireless controller 120. The computer programportions may be written in any high level language such as C, C++, C#,Java or the like or any lower level assembly or machine language. Whilestoring the computer program portions therein, various portions of thememories 102, 106, 121, 123 are physically and/or structurallyconfigured in accordance with computer program instructions.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a setup routine 130 that may be stored in thememory of the wireless controller 120 of the wireless communicationdevice 46. Referring to FIG. 5, the setup routine 130 may beginoperation at block 131 during which a player identification, playervoice commands, and the player's voiceprint may be downloaded to one ormore of the memories of the wireless controller 120. The playeridentification, the player voice commands, and the player voiceprint mayhave been previously entered by the player and stored in the networkgaming computer 22, or another central registration computer, during aplayer registration process. Alternatively, the wireless controller 120may be utilized to initially enter the player's identification, voicecommands, the player's voiceprint, etc., such that at block 131 suchinformation is entered by the player using the wireless communicationdevice 46 rather than downloading the information. Although a player'svoiceprint is disclosed, additional forms of biometric data may also beimplemented including, but not limited to, handprints, fingerprints,hand geometry, eye or retinal recognition, facial recognition, olfactoryrecognition, thermograms, keyboard/input metrics and dynamics (e.g.,typing patterns, speed, etc.) and signature validation, for example.Such biometric data may be read using corresponding image scanners,touchpad sensors, video cameras, odor detectors, heat sensors andanalysis software to isolate particular characteristics uniquelyassociated with the player. The biometric data may be stored andaccessed in a variety of formats, including, but not limited to, imagescans, photographic data, odor analysis data, thermography scans orpattern analysis data for comparison to biometric data read as part ofan authentication process. Any combination of these forms ofauthentication may be used by authentication processes initiated by thewireless communication device 46, the gaming unit 20 or another devicerequiring authentication.

In providing the information, the player may speak voice commands into amicrophone which are recorded and associated with various functions tobe performed by the gaming units 20, the network computer 22, thewireless communication device 46, etc. For example, the player mayrecord a voice command to bet one credit wherein the network computer 22records the player saying “bet one credit.” In one example, the voicecommands may relate to particular gaming functions, some of which arerepresented by the various buttons disclosed throughout thisapplication, including, but not limited to, “see pays,” “cash out,” “maxbet,” “spin,” “deal,” “draw,” “stay,” “hit,” “selected ticket,” “selectnumber,” “play,” “selected card,” etc. Additional voice commands thatmay be recorded may relate to receiving financial information, placingdrink and food orders, terminating wireless communications, etc. Each ofthe voice commands may cause the wireless communication device 46, thegaming unit 20 and/or the network computer 22 to execute a particularfunction in response to the voice command.

Voice recognition software may be utilized by the wireless controller120 to correlate each of these spoken voice commands with the particularfunction. For example, the player may be prompted to say “bet onecredit” which is associated with entering a wager of one credit with agaming unit 20, or to say “see pays” which is associated with a functionsuch as displaying a payout table on the display unit 70 of the gamingunit 20. The player may be then prompted to record another voice commandwhich is associated with another function, examples of which arementioned above and below in connection with various routines that maybe performed by the gaming unit 20. The prompt may include a voiceprompt which may be generated by the wireless communication device 46through the speaker 129 to prompt the player to speak the voice commandsinto the microphone 126. By directly correlating particular phrases withparticular commands, the wireless controller 120 may take into accountspeech behaviors, such as accents, speech patterns, etc., that vary fromperson to person. Further, speech that has been affected by additionalcircumstances, such as illness, may also be taken into account.

On the other hand, the voice recognition software may be pre-programmedto recognize particular words or phrases, without a player correlatingeach command with a phrase, as disclosed above. In some examples, voicerecognition software may identify key aspects of speech that aregenerally common among most players. Although pre-programmed voicerecognition software may take into account variances in accents, speechpatterns, or other speech behaviors, the player may still be prompted tocalibrate the voice recognition software by speaking particular words orphrases. The wireless controller 120 may respond by audibly repeatingthe calibration word or phrase, and the player may indicate a correctresponse or an incorrect response. The word or phrase may be repeatedseveral time, and a statistical average having acceptable minima andmaxima calculated to determine a range of recognition by the voicerecognition software. In one example, the player may type in the correctword or phrase which the wireless controller 120 may associate with thespoken word or phrase. The wireless controller 120 may thereby betrained to take into account each player's speech behaviors, and mayfurther correct for speech that has been affected by othercircumstances, such as illness.

As mentioned above, the player's voiceprint may be downloaded to thewireless communication device 46. The player's voiceprint may also bestored in a memory of the network computer 22. In one example, theplayer's voiceprint may be the player identification and may be recordedas biometric data. The player's voiceprint may be a simple recording ofthe player's voice or may be the result of analysis of the player'sspeech patterns which are uniquely associated with the player. Further,a statistical average of a player's voice pattern with acceptable minimaand maxima may be performed to determine a range of recognition by thevoice recognition software. The speech patterns may generally exist in aplayer's speech independent of variations in how the player speaks. Forexample, a voice print may be the same for a player speaking in a normalvoice as it is for the same player whose speech is affected by illness,although generally unique to that player as compared to other players.In addition, the player's voiceprint may also relate to the player'slanguage. For example, a player may specify during registration that theplayer's primary language is Spanish. A wireless communication device 46may be automatically adjusted, such as by downloading an appropriatevoice recognition routine, to accommodate the player's language.

Once the player's identification, voice commands and voiceprint havebeen downloaded (or entered) at block 131, the player's preferences maybe downloaded to the wireless communication device 46 at block 132.Alternatively, a voice prompt may be generated by the wirelesscommunication device 46 through the speaker 129 to prompt the player tospeak his or her preferences into the microphone 126. The playerpreferences may relate to a variety of preferences, including, but notlimited to, games, game themes, wager amounts, drinks, food, etc. Theplayer preferences may be stored in one or more of the memories of thewireless controller 120.

At block 133, the routine 130 may further establish access rightsrelated to player's access to cash, accounts, promotions, etc., some orall of which may be based on the player identification and the playerpreferences provided above. For example, access rights may be granted topromotions directed towards new players if the player's identificationrelates to a new player account, whereas access to promotions directedto returning players may be restricted from the new players. Promotionsmay relate to free wagers, specials on drinks and food, bonus games andthe occurrence thereof, etc. In some cases, the player may haveestablished an account from which to electronically deposit or withdrawmoney as needed. Therefore, at block 133, access rights may be grantedto this account based on the prior identification and/or voiceprint.Access rights to particular services, gaming units 20, game, etc. mayalso be granted on the basis of player status, such as for returning orpreferred customers. For example, the wireless communication device 46may include a “privileged” mode of operation for a returning orpreferred customer, whereby the player may be granted access to servicesnot otherwise available to regular players, such as additional gamingcapabilities (e.g., sports betting), or access to concierge services(e.g., tickets, restaurant reservations, etc.), for example. Accessrights to particular areas and locations, such as a hotel room orprivate gaming areas, may also be granted whereby the wirelesscommunication device 46 may be utilized to provide a player access tootherwise restricted areas and locations.

At block 134, the wireless communication device 46 may be registeredwith an authentication server and undergo an encryption key exchangewith the authentication server. The encryption keys may includepublic/private encryption key pairs for asymmetric encryption of datatransmitted to and from the wireless communication device 46. At block135, the routine 130 may encrypt the data downloaded at blocks 131 and132. Additionally, the routine 130 may enable a write protection atblock 136 to prevent the stored information from being erased or alteredunless authorized to do so. At block 137 the routine 130 may verify ifthe set up operation has been completed. If not, the routine 130 mayloop through various set up options to identify and correct those set upoptions that have not been completed. Once set up is complete, asdetermined at block 137, the set up routine may terminate and passcontrol to another routine to allow the wireless communication device 46to search for and respond to wireless transmissions being broadcastthroughout the casino.

FIG. 5A is a flowchart of a locating routine 140 that may be stored inthe memory of a controller of an access point within the casino. Thecasino may be provided with numerous access points throughout the casinoto locate and identify the player via the wireless communication device46. As used herein, an access point may refer to any device having awireless transceiver capable of receiving and/or broadcasting wirelesstransmissions to or from the wireless communication device 46. Forexample, wireless transceivers may be positioned throughout the casinoand operatively coupled to the network computer 22. Alternatively, or inaddition, each of the gaming units 20 may operate as an access point viathe wireless transceiver 114. In the example described with reference toFIG. 5A, the locating routine 140 will be described as a routine storedin the memory of the controller 100 of a gaming unit 20, wherein thegaming unit 20 communicates with the wireless communication device 46 asan access point using the wireless transceiver 114. Although one accesspoint may be capable of locating and identifying the player via thewireless communication device 46, multiple access points may becoordinated to utilize the locating routine 140 to triangulate theposition of the player.

Referring to FIG. 5A, the locating routine 140 may begin operation atblock 141 during which a discovery message is broadcast via the wirelesstransceiver 114. The discovery message may be broadcast to any of thewireless communication devices 46 with the broadcast range of thewireless transceiver 114. The broadcast message may prompt the wirelesscommunication device 46 to respond. If such a response is detected atblock 142, the routine 140 may cause a connection message to bebroadcast at block 143. Otherwise, the routine 140 may continue toperiodically broadcast a discovery message until the wirelesstransceiver 114 receives a response from the wireless communicationdevice 46. At block 144, the routine 140 may verify the connection withthe wireless communication device 46 by prompting the wirelesscommunication device 46 for a response to the connection messagebroadcast at block 143. If no response is provided, the routine 140 mayreturn to broadcasting the discovery message at block 141. If thewireless communication device 46 responds, as determined at block 144, aconnection may be established between the wireless transceiver 114 andthe wireless communication device 46 at block 145.

Having established a connection, the routine 140 may cause the gamingunit 20 to request the player identification from the wirelesscommunication device 46 at block 146. Player preferences may also berequested at block 146. Once the player identification and playerpreferences have been received, the player identification and thelocation of the gaming unit 20, which may be stored in a memory of thecontroller 100, may be transmitted to the network computer 22. Thenetwork computer 22 may thereby be notified that the player is withinthe vicinity of the access point. The vicinity may refer to thebroadcast range of the wireless communication device 46. Additionally,the player identification and the player preferences may be transmittedat block 148 to additional gaming units 20 in the vicinity of theplayer. This may enable the various gaming units 20 within the vicinityof the player to establish communication with the wireless communicationdevice 46 and broadcast audio messages and display images customized forthe player according to the player identification and preferences suchas promotions, music, attraction sequences, etc., some of which may besubject to the access rights determined during the set up routine 130.Additional devices other than gaming units 20 (e.g., televisionmonitors, kiosks, etc.) may likewise be modified to broadcast audiomessages and display images customized for the player. In addition, theaccess point may use the player identification to allow the playeraccess to his/her hotel room or areas of the casino restricted toparticular players, order food or drinks, balance transfers, each ofwhich may be in response to a voice command from the player.

At block 149, the routine 140 may confirm whether or not the playerremains in the vicinity of the access point by broadcasting aconfirmation message at block 149 requesting the wireless communicationdevice 46 to verify its presence. The confirmation message may bebroadcast at block 149 continuously or at predetermined intervals oftime. If provided with a response, as determined at block 150, theroutine 140 may continue to periodically confirm the presence of thewireless communication device 46. If the wireless communication device46 does not provide a response, as determined at block 150, a messageindicating that the player has left the vicinity of the access point maybe transmitted to the network computer 22 and/or the gaming unit(s) 20within the vicinity (e.g., those contacted at block 148). The routine140 may further cause the access point to poll additional access pointsfor the location of the player at block 152. The access point maycontinue polling additional access points for the location of the playeruntil the player is located as determined at block 153. Once located,the access point may transfer, or hand off, data regarding the player(e.g., the player's previous locations, games played, duration at aparticular location, movement patterns, etc.) to the new access pointthat has located the player. By continually locating the player, theplayer's movements may be tracked and areas around the player maycontinually be tailored to the player as the player moves throughout anestablishment. The tracking of multiple players may be used to providetraffic analysis within the establishment.

In addition to generally locating a player using the locating routine140, the locating routine 140 may be used for emergency purposes. Forexample, during the setup routine 130 the wireless communication device46 may be programmed by the player (e.g., as part of the playerpreferences or voice commands) to transmit a distress call or requestfor assistance in the event of an emergency. The wireless communicationdevice 46 may also be programmed according to specific emergencies, suchas when the player may have a medical condition, which may automaticallyalert appropriate medical personnel when the distress call is initiated.A default emergency response may alert security personnel. The distresscall may be triggered by a variety of events, including a voice commandsuch as “help,” or activation of a button, for example. Although thedistress call may not be in response to a broadcast message, any accesspoint within the range of the wireless communication device 46, or thelast access point to have located the wireless communication device 46,may automatically transmit location information along with an emergencyrequest directly to the appropriate personnel or to a central computer,such as the network computer 22, which may in turn contact theappropriate personnel. Although the distress call may specify the natureof the emergency (e.g., medical, security, etc.), the central computermay determine the nature of the emergency based upon the programming ofthe wireless communication device 46 during the setup routine 130 andalert the appropriate personnel accordingly with information regardingthe emergency and the last known location of the player.

While the location information provided by the access point may relateto a generalize location indicating that the player is within thevicinity of the access point, the responding personnel may also beprovided with a wireless communication device 46 to specificallypinpoint the player's location. As the responding personnel proceed tothe last known location of the player, the wireless communication device46 of the player may detect the presence of the wireless communicationdevice 46 of the responding personnel, and begin to initiate anoperational mode to attract the responding personnel to the player'sspecific location. The attraction mode may include emission of a soundor light, or a transmitted signal indicating proximity, for example. Aproximity or location signal may be based on global positioning or mayinclude a simple transmission transmitted to one or more access points,including the wireless communication device 46 of the respondingpersonnel which may be used to triangulate the source of the signal(e.g., by comparing time of transmission to time of receipt). Thewireless communication device 46 of the responding personnel may therebyact as an access point and execute the locating routine 140 to locateand communicate with the wireless communication device 46 of the player.In another example, the wireless communication device 46 of the playermay act as an access point and execute the locating routine 140 tolocate and communicate with the wireless communication device 46 of theresponding personnel.

FIG. 5B is a flowchart of a response routine 160 that may be stored inthe memory of the wireless controller 120 of the wireless communicationdevice 46 for communication with the access point described above.Referring to FIG. 5B, the response routine 160 may begin operation atblock 161 during which the wireless communication device 46 searches forany discovery messages being broadcast by an access point. If thewireless communication device detects a discovery message beingbroadcast, as determined at block 161, the wireless communication device46 may transmit a response to the access point at block 162 via thewireless transceiver 127. The routine 160 may then search for aconnection message being broadcast by the access point at block 163. Ifthe wireless communication device 46 does not detect a connectionmessage being broadcast by the access point, the routine 160 may returnto searching for discovery messages being broadcast at block 161.Otherwise, the routine 160 may cause the wireless communication device46 to transmit the player identification and player preferences to theaccess points at block 164.

As mentioned above, the access point may transmit a confirmation messageto determine if the wireless communication device 46 (and hence theplayer) is still in the vicinity. The wireless communication device 46may therefore periodically detect whether or not a confirmation messagehas been transmitted from the access point, such confirmation messagebeing detected at block 165. If the wireless communication device 46receives the confirmation request, as determined at block 165, thewireless communication device 46 may transmit a confirmation message tothe access point to verify that the player is still within the vicinity.Otherwise, the routine 160 may pass control to block 161 to search for anew discovery message being broadcast.

FIG. 5C is a flowchart of a silence routine 170 that may be stored inthe memory of the wireless controller 120 of the wireless communicationdevice 46. As mentioned above, the gaming units 20, or other deviceswith wireless transceivers, may broadcast various audio messages to theplayer via the wireless communication device 46, including, but notlimited to, promotional offers, music, attraction sequences, etc. Whenplayer no longer wishes to receive such broadcast messages, the playermay initiate the silence routine 170 described below.

Referring to FIG. 5C, the silence routine 170 may begin operation atblock 171 during which the wireless communication device 46 maydetermine whether or the player has requested not to receive any furtherbroadcast messages. If the player has made such a request, which may beexpressed as a voice command or by activating a switch (e.g., a button)on the wireless communication device 46, the routine 170 may determinewhether or not the player is currently engaged in bidirectionalcommunications, such as a gaming session, with a gaming unit 20 at block172. For example, a gaming session generally does not include broadcastmessages, but rather direct communications between the gaming unit 20and the wireless communication device 46.

If the player is engaged in a bidirectional communication, the routine170 may deny the player's request to continue with the silence routine170 at block 173. The routine 170 may inform the player of such denialat block 173 via an appropriate audio message via the speaker 129.However, if the player is not engaged in a bidirectional communicationwith a gaming unit 20, the silence routine 170 may confirm that theplayer wishes to initiate the silence mode at block 174 by playing anappropriate audio message requesting confirmation via the speaker 129.The player may express confirmation via a voice command or the switch(e.g., depressing the button).

At block 175, the silence routine 170 may cause the wirelesscommunication device 46 to ignore all broadcasts or otherwise no longerreceive the various wireless communications, which may be accomplishedby disabling the wireless transceiver 127. Alternatively, the wirelesscommunication device 46 may continue to receive wireless communications,but deactivate or otherwise disable the sound circuit 128 and/or thespeaker 129 such that audio messages are no longer played through thespeaker 129. However, other broadcast messages may continue, includingthose relating to the locating routine 140. Also at block 175, thesilence routine 170 may cause the wireless communication device 46 toengage in a power saving mode, which may include minimizing use ofcomponents that are not used during the silence mode.

Periodically, the silence routine 170 may determine whether or not theplayer wishes to resume receiving wireless communications at block 176,such wish being expressed via a voice command or activating theabove-mentioned switch. The wireless communication device 46 maycontinue to ignore all broadcasts until the player signifies otherwiseas determined at block 176. The silence routine 170 may confirm that theplayer wishes to resume receiving broadcasts at block 177 by requestingconfirmation via the speaker 129, wherein the player may confirmresumption by voice command or activating the switch (e.g., depressingthe button). Having confirmed the resumption of broadcast, the silenceroutine 170 may reactivate, or otherwise enable the wireless transceiver127, the sound circuit 128 and/or the speaker 129.

While the above has described various methods and uses of the wirelesscommunication device 46 by a player in gaming operations, it should beunderstood that additional persons, such as casino personnel,maintenance personnel or supervisory personnel, may use the wirelesscommunication device 46 to obtain authorized access to the gaming unit20. For example, as disclosed above, security personnel, medicalpersonnel or other emergency personnel may use the wirelesscommunication device 46 to locate a player requiring emergency services.The emergency personnel may further use the wireless communicationdevice 46 to administer aid to the player by requesting supplies,services, additional personnel, etc. using the wireless communicationdevice 46.

In another example, authorized personnel (e.g., casino personnel,maintenance personnel, supervisory personnel, auditors, etc.) mayutilize the wireless communication device 46 to access maintenance andservice functions of a gaming unit 20, which are not otherwise availableto a player. During the setup routine 130, the personnel identification,voiceprint and voice commands may be downloaded to the memory of thewireless controller 120 at block 131. Although the personnel may providethis information to the wireless controller 120 directly, thisinformation may be provided from the network gaming computer 22 or othersecure centralized personnel server for security purposes. As above, thevoiceprint may be used for identification purposes. If desired, thepersonnel's preferences may be provided to the wireless communicationdevice 46 at block 132.

At block 133, the routine 130 may establish the personnel's accessrights based on the personnel's status (e.g., identification and/or workorder), including, but not limited to, access to the maintenance andservice functions of one or more of the gaming units 20. For instance,the personnel may be restricted only to particular gaming units 20and/or particular functions based on the personnel's status (e.g.,security clearance, a work order, etc.), and may be restricted fromother services, including, but not limited to, access rights normallygranted to a player. The wireless communication device 46 may then beregistered with an authentication server, which may be the networkcomputer 22 or a centralized personnel server, and undergo an exchangeof encryption keys. Write protection may also be enabled at block 136 toprevent unauthorized access.

The personnel may then proceed to the appropriate gaming unit(s) 20,establish a communication session with a gaming unit 20 as disclosedabove and further below. The personnel may thereby access the functionsand services of the gaming unit 20 using a unique identification, suchas a voice print. Additional commands may be provided by the personnelto the gaming unit 20 via voice command. Access to the gaming unit 20and actions taken during such access may be recorded and/or transmittedby the wireless communication device 46, along with a timestamp of eachoccurrence, to track all authorized and unauthorized access and actionstaken with respect to the gaming unit 20.

Overall Operation of Gaming Unit

One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or moreof the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connectionwith a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions orroutines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one ormore of the memories of the controller 100. The computer program(s) orportions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20,and may control the operation of the gaming unit 20 from a remotelocation. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of awireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects thegaming unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the networkcomputers 22, 32) having a memory in which the computer program portionsare stored. The computer program portions may be written in any highlevel language such as C, C++, C#, Java or the like or any low-levelassembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portionstherein, various portions of the memories 102, 106 are physically and/orstructurally configured in accordance with computer programinstructions.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a main operating routine 200 that may be storedin the memory of the controller 100. Referring to FIG. 6, the mainroutine 200 may begin operation at block 202 during which an attractionsequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player ina casino to play the gaming unit 20. The attraction sequence may beperformed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70(if provided as a video display unit) and/or causing one or more soundsegments, such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62 orbroadcast via the wireless transceiver 114. The attraction sequence mayinclude a scrolling list of games that may be played on the gaming unit20 and/or video images of various games being played, such as videopoker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, etc.

During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential playermakes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 204, theattraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display maybe generated on the display unit 70 (if provided as a video displayunit) at block 206 to allow the player to select a game available on thegaming unit 20. The gaming unit 20 may detect an input at block 204 invarious ways. For example, the gaming unit 20 could detect if the playerpresses any button on the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 coulddetermine if the player deposited one or more coins into the gaming unit20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if player deposited papercurrency into the gaming unit; the gaming unit 20 could receive amessage, such as a voice command or discovery confirmation message, fromthe wireless communication device 46, etc.

The game-selection display generated at block 206 may include, forexample, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit 20and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into thegaming unit 20. While the game-selection display is generated, thegaming unit 20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Uponselection of one of the games by the player as determined at block 208,the controller 100 may cause one of a number of game routines to beperformed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the gameroutines could include a video poker routine 210, a video blackjackroutine 220, a slots routine 230, a video keno routine 240, and a videobingo routine 250. At block 208, if no game selection is made within agiven period of time, the operation may branch back to block 202.

After one of the routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 has been performed toallow the player to play one of the games, block 260 may be utilized todetermine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing thegaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a“Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the playerat block 262 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player.The operation may then return to block 202. If the player did not wishto quit as determined at block 260, the routine may return to block 208where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow theplayer to select another game.

It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in FIG.6, a different number of routines could be included to allow play of adifferent number of games. The gaming unit 20 may also be programmed toallow play of different games.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart of an alternative main operating routine 270 thatmay be stored in the memory of the controller 100. The main routine 270may be utilized for gaming units 20 that are designed to allow play ofonly a single game or single type of game. Referring to FIG. 6A, themain routine 270 may begin operation at block 271 during which anattraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potentialplayer in a casino to play the gaming unit 20. The attraction sequencemay be performed by displaying one or more video images on the displayunit 70 (if provided as a video display unit) and/or causing one or moresound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers62.

During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential playermakes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 272, theattraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may begenerated on the display unit 70 (if provided as a video display unit)at block 273. The game display generated at block 273 may include, forexample, an image of the casino game that may be played on the gamingunit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit valueinto the gaming unit 20. At block 274, the gaming unit 20 may determineif the player requested information concerning the game, in which casethe requested information may be displayed at block 275. Block 276 maybe used to determine if the player requested initiation of a game, inwhich case a game routine 277 may be performed. The game routine 277could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one ofthe five game routines 210,220, 230, 240, 250, or another game routine.

After the routine 277 has been performed to allow the player to play thegame, block 278 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishesto terminate play on the gaming unit 20. If the player wishes to stopplaying the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, byselecting a “Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value tothe player at block 279 based on the outcome of the game(s) played bythe player. The operation may then return to block 271. If the playerdid not wish to quit as determined at block 278, the operation mayreturn to block 274.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a communication session routine 280 that maybe stored in the memory of the controller 100 of the gaming unit 20. Thecommunication session routine 280 may be utilized by the gaming unit 20to initiate a gaming session between the player and the gaming unit 20by initiating a bidirectional communication between the wirelesstransceiver 114 of the gaming unit 20 and wireless transceiver 127 ofthe wireless communication device 46. Although described as a separateroutine, it should be understood that the session routine 280 may beincorporated into either of the main routines 200, 270 shown in FIGS. 6and 6A. In particular, the communication session routine 280 may beimplemented as part of the attraction sequence at blocks 202, 271 and/ordetection of the player input at blocks 204, 272. In another example,the communication session routine 280 may be initiated when a gamingunit 20 is informed that a player is within the vicinity of the gamingunit 20, as determined by the locating routine 140.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the communication session routine 280 may beginoperation at block 281 during which the gaming unit 20 may broadcast adiscovery message via the wireless transceiver 114. The discoverymessage may request that all wireless communication devices 46 withinthe vicinity of the gaming unit 20 respond to the discovery message. Thevicinity of the gaming unit 20 may be determined by the broadcast rangeof the wireless transceiver 114. If the gaming unit 20 receives aresponse from a wireless communication device 46 via the wirelesstransceiver 114, as determined at block 282, the gaming unit 20 maybroadcast a connection message to the wireless communication device 46to establish a connection and bidirectional communication session. Ifthe gaming unit 20 receives a response from the wireless communicationdevice 46, as determined at block 284, the connection may be confirmedat block 285.

Once a connection has been established, at block 286 the routine 280 mayrequest the wireless communication device 46 to provide validation, suchas a validation number unique to the wireless communication device 46, acertificate of authenticity, etc., to determine whether or not thewireless communication device 46 is authorized to communicate with thegaming unit 20. If the wireless communication device 46 is not valid asdetermined at block 287, the routine 280 may cause the gaming unit 20 totransmit a help request to appropriate personnel at 288 and generate adisplay on the display unit 70 of the gaming unit 20 requesting theplayer to remain in the vicinity of the gaming unit 20 of block 289.

If, however, the wireless communication device 46 is valid, the routine280 may determine whether the player has requested a new gaming sessionat block 290. A new gaming session may be determined by an appropriategaming instruction received from the wireless communication device 46.In one example, the gaming unit 20 may prompt the player to initiate anew gaming session by generating a display on the display unit 70 and/orgenerating a sound via the speaker 129 of the wireless communicationdevice 46. If the gaming unit 20 does not receive any input for a newgaming session, or if the player affirmatively rejects a new gamingsession, the routine 280 may initiate a termination routine, examples ofwhich are disclosed further below.

If, however, a new gaming session is requested, the routine 280 maycause the gaming unit 20 to request login information from the wirelesscommunication device 46 at block 291. The login information may relateto the player's identification, the player preferences, a spokenpassword, voiceprint analysis, or any other form of authentication toconfirm that the identity of the player corresponds to theidentification information stored within the memory of the wirelesscontroller 120. Once provided to the gaming unit 20, the player may beeffectively “logged in” to the gaming unit 20 and authenticated at block292. Although the player's identity may be verified by the wirelesscontroller 120 as disclosed below, the player's identity may also beverified by the controller 100 of the gaming unit 20. For example, thelogin information may include a voice command, spoken password, spokenidentity, etc., which may be transmitted from the wireless controller120. The controller 100 may retrieve a recorded voiceprint (e.g., fromthe network computer 22) and compare/analyze the voiceprint of the logininformation to the recorded voiceprint or the analysis thereof. Thegaming unit 20 may notify the wireless controller 120 of the comparisonresults.

An additional or alternative form of authentication may include atemporal and/or location authentication. In some cases, it may bepossible for a player's wireless communication device 46 to be stolenand/or for a player's voice commands to be recorded. The routine 280 maytherefore cause the gaming unit 20 to prompt the player to repeat a wordor phrase displayed on the display unit 70 and/or repeat a word orphrase communicated to the wireless communication device 46 as anaudible message. The word or phrase may vary periodically, and theplayer-spoken word/phrase may be compared to the prompt. If they are thesame, the player may be considered to be at the gaming unit 20 asopposed to a pre-recorded message. In addition, the routine 280 maycompare the voiceprint of the player-spoken word or phrase to previouslya recorded/analyzed voiceprint to further verify authenticity. A furtherform of authentication may include verifying that the player is locatedat the gaming unit 20. Although this may be accomplished via the promptdisclosed above, the locating routine 140, which may be performed by thegaming unit 20, may be used to determine that the wireless communicationdevice 46, and by assumption the player, is located near the gaming unit20. The connection confirmation at block 285 may also be used to confirmthat the wireless communication device 46, and by assumption the player,is located within the broadcast range of the gaming unit 20.

If authenticated, the gaming unit 20 may be adjusted according to theplayer preferences (e.g., displaying preferred games, preferred gamethemes, etc.) at block 293. The controller 100 may then continueoperating by initiating a game routine, which may be any of the gameroutines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 disclosed herein, or the controller 100may continue with a main operating routine 200, 270, which may be thecase if the routine 280 is provided as part of an attraction sequence.

FIG. 6C is a flowchart of a communication session routine 300 that maybe stored in the memory of the wireless controller 120 of the wirelesscommunication device 46. The communication session routine 300 may beutilized by the wireless communication device 46 to initiate a gamingsession between the player and the gaming unit 20 by initiating abidirectional communication between the wireless transceiver 114 of thegaming unit 20 and wireless transceiver 127 of the wirelesscommunication device 46. Referring to FIG. 6C, the communication sessionroutine 300 may begin operation at block 301 during which the wirelesscommunication device 46 may continually determine whether or not adiscovery message is being broadcast by a gaming unit 20. If so, thewireless communication device 46 may respond to the discovery message byproviding a confirmation message to the gaming unit 20 at block 302. Theroutine 300 may then detect a connection request message as broadcast bythe gaming unit 20 at block 303. If the connection message is notdetected, the wireless communication device 46 may continue searchingfor discovery message being broadcast by other gaming units 20. If theconnection message is detected, as determined at block 303, the wirelesscommunication device 46 may provide a confirmation that the connectionhas been established at block 304.

Having established a bidirectional communication with the gaming unit20, the wireless communication device 46 may wait for a request forvalidation information at block 305. If provided, the wirelesscommunication device 46 may transmit an identification unique to thewireless communication device 46 at block 306. If the deviceidentification is accepted by gaming unit 20, as determined at block 307via a message from the gaming unit 20, the routine 300 may determinewhether the player has requested a new gaming session at block 308. Anew gaming session may be determined by an appropriate voice commandreceived from the player or based on an input by the player to thegaming unit 20. In one example, the wireless communication device mayprompt the player to initiate a new gaming session by generating a soundvia the speaker 129 and/or by instructing the gaming unit 20 to generatea display on the display unit 70. If the gaming unit 20 does not receiveany input for a new gaming session, or if the player affirmativelyrejects a new gaming session, the routine 300 may return control toblock 301.

If a new gaming session is initiated by the player, as determined atblock 308 the wireless communication device 46 may transmit the playeridentification and player preferences at block 309 for authenticationand adjustment of the gaming unit 20 according to the playerpreferences. The wireless communication device 46 may then continuecommunicating with the gaming unit 20 during operation of a gameroutine, which may be any of the game routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250disclosed herein, or the wireless communication device 46 may continuecommunicating with the gaming unit 20 during operation of a mainoperating routine 200, 270.

FIG. 6D is a flowchart of a control routine 310 that may be stored inthe memory of the wireless controller 120 of the wireless communicationdevice 46. The control routine 310 may provide the player with a voiceactivated interface and control over the gaming unit 20. Referring toFIG. 6D, the control routine 310 may begin operation at block 311 duringwhich the player may provide a voice command to the wireless thecommunication device 46 via the microphone 126. The voice command may beprovided as individual commands, such as “select 2 lines,” “5 creditsper line,” “$1 wager,” whereby the wireless communication device 46 mayseparately transmit gaming function data to the gaming unit 20 for eachcommand, and the gaming unit 20 may separately perform a gaming functionin response to each command. In another example, a voice command mayinclude a string of functions to be executed, such as “select 2 lines, 5credits per line, $1 wager,” whereby the wireless communication device46 may collectively transmit gaming function data that includes eachfunction, and the gaming unit 20 may execute multiple gaming functionsin response to each item listed in the voice command. Each voice commandmay be punctuated by a word or phrase such as “execute” to cause thegaming unit 20 to execute the gaming function.

Using a voice recognition routine, the wireless communication device 46may interpret and translate the voice command into data relating to agaming function at block 312. In one example, the gaming function mayrelate to a gaming instruction, such as a wager amount, a pay lineselection, a number selection, a card selection, deal, draw, hit, stay,etc. However, it should also be understood that the voice command mayrelate to additional functions such as viewing or transferring financialinformation, ordering food or drink, etc. Because some gamingenvironments may have a large amount of background noise, the voicerecognition software may take background noise into account to isolate avoice command. In one example, the voice recognition software may becalibrated to determine the level and nature of the background noise,and cancel such noise when awaiting or receiving a voice command. Thecalibration may be performed periodically to account for variations inbackground noise. The control routine 310 may further record the voicecommand within a memory of the wireless controller 120 to provide anaudit trail of the player's gaming selections, wagers, etc. The audittrail may be associated with the player and/or the player's gamingsessions.

The control routine 300 may verify the authenticity of the player'sidentity at block 313 by comparing voiceprint of the voice command torecorded voiceprints stored in the memory of the wireless controller120. As such, each voice command may result in an authentication processto verify the player as the source of the command. If the player'sidentification is authentic as determined at block 314, the wirelesscommunication device 46 may encrypt the data relating to the gamingfunction associated with the voice commend at block 315. If the player'sidentification is not authenticated as determined at block 314, thebidirectional communication with the gaming 20 may be terminated. Theencrypted data may be transmitted at block 316 to the gaming unit 20.Alternatively, or in addition, the controller 100 of the gaming unit 20may authenticate the player's identity, as disclosed above, and thewireless controller 120 may be provided with the results of theauthentication.

After transmitting the gaming function data to the gaming unit 20 atblock 316, or if the player has not provided a voice command asdetermined at block 311, the wireless communication device 46 maydetermine whether or not gaming data has been received from the gamingunit 20 at block 317. If not, the wireless communication device 46 maycontinue to wait for a voice command from the player. If gaming data isreceived from gaming unit 20, such gaming data may be received at block318 and decrypted, if necessary, at block 319. The gaming data from thegaming unit 20 may relate to any data which may be provided to thewireless communication device 46, including, but not limited to,financial information (e.g., account balance, winnings, balancetransfers), confirmation of gaming instruction, updates on drink or foodorders, promotions, updates on dinner or show reservations, etc. Havingreceived and decrypted the gaming data, the wireless communicationdevice 46 may execute a function based on the gaming data at block 320.In some cases, the function may include translating the gaming data intoaudio played to the player via the speaker 129. In other cases, thegaming data may result in the execution of functions such astransferring funds, updating information (e.g., player preferences,account balance, etc.) stored on the memory of the wireless controller120, etc.

FIG. 6E is a flowchart of a control routine 330 that may be stored inthe memory of the controller 100 of the gaming unit 20. Referring toFIG. 6E, the control routine 330 may begin operation at block 331 duringwhich the gaming unit 20 may determine whether or not gaming functiondata has been received from the wireless communication device 46 via thewireless transceiver 114. As mentioned above, the gaming function datamay relate to various types of information to cause the gaming unit 20to execute a function in response thereto, including, but not limitedto, gaming instructions, financial instructions, food or drink orders,etc. If gaming function data is detected at block 331, the gamingfunction data may be received at block 332 and decrypted at block 333.In addition to decrypting the gaming function data, the gaming unit 20may verify the authenticity of the player's identity, including, but notlimited to, verifying the player's voiceprint if the gaming functiondata comprises a voice command. The gaming unit 20 may then interpretthe gaming function data and execute a function in response thereto atblock 334. The function may relate to a game being played (e.g., a wageramount, game selection, cash out option, etc.). However, the functionmay further relate to additional information such as the choice of agame theme, drink order, food order, a financial transaction, amaintenance function request, etc. The gaming unit 20 may further storethe gaming function data as part of an audit trail relating to theplayer and/or the gaming session. If the gaming function data isprovided as a voice command, the gaming unit 20 may record and store thevoice command, or the voice command (and associated gaming functiondata) may be provided to a centralized storage system or server such asthe network computer 22 and stored as audit trail data.

In response to executing the gaming function at block 334, or if nogaming function data is received as determined at block 331, the gamingunit 20 may determine whether any gaming data is to be transmitted tothe wireless communication device 46 at block 335. If not, the routine330 may continue to wait for gaming function data from the wirelesscommunication device 46. However, if the gaming unit 20 has gaming datato provide to the wireless communication device 46, the gaming unit 20may encrypt the gaming data at block 336 and transmit the gaming data at337. As mentioned above, the gaming data may relate to confirmation of aplayer instruction, an advertisement, music, information related to theoutcome of the execution of the gaming function at block 334, etc.

Video Poker

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video pokergame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 7 isan exemplary display 350 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in FIG.6. Referring to FIG. 7, the display 350 may include video images 352 ofa plurality of playing cards representing the player's hand, such asfive cards. To allow the player to control the play of the video pokergame, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. Thebuttons may include a “Hold” button 354 disposed directly below each ofthe playing card images 352, a “Cash Out” button 356, a “See Pays”button 358, a “Bet One Credit” button 360, a “Bet Max Credits” button362, and a “Deal/Draw” button 364. The display 350 may also include anarea 366 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed.If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, thebuttons 354, 356, 358, 360, 362, 364 may form part of the video display350. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as partof a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the video poker routine 210 shown schematicallyin FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 9, at block 370, the routine may determinewhether the player has requested payout information, such as byactivating the “See Pays” button 358, in which case at block 372 theroutine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the displayunit 70. At block 374, the routine may determine whether the player hasmade a bet, such as by pressing the “Bet One Credit” button 360, inwhich case at block 376 bet data corresponding to the bet made by theplayer may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 378,the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Bet MaxCredits” button 362, in which case at block 380 bet data correspondingto the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100.

At block 382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new handto be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the “Deal/Draw”button 364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block384 a video poker hand may be “dealt” by causing the display unit 70 togenerate the playing card images 352. After the hand is dealt, at block386 the routine may determine if any of the “Hold” buttons 354 have beenactivated by the player, in which case data regarding which of theplaying card images 352 are to be “held” may be stored in the controller100 at block 388. If the “Deal/Draw” button 364 is activated again asdetermined at block 390, each of the playing card images 352 that wasnot “held” may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and tobe replaced by a new, randomly selected, playing card image 352 at block392.

At block 394, the routine may determine whether the poker handrepresented by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is awinner. That determination may be made by comparing data representingthe currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possiblewinning hands, which may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winninghand may be determined at block 396. At block 398, the player'scumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting thebet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payoutvalue determined at block 396. The cumulative value or number of creditsmay also be displayed in the display area 366 (FIG. 7).

Although the video poker routine 210 is described above in connectionwith a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modifiedto allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven cardpoker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively,multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, thegame may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may beallowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, theheld cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands,with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomlydetermined.

Video Blackjack

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a videoblackjack game, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit.FIG. 8 is an exemplary display 400 that may be shown on the display unit70 during performance of the video blackjack routine 220 shownschematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 8, the display 400 mayinclude video images 402 of a pair of playing cards representing adealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face up and the other cardbeing shown face down, and video images 404 of a pair of playing cardsrepresenting a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up. The“dealer” may be the gaming unit 20.

To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, aplurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons mayinclude a “Cash Out” button 406, a “See Pays” button 408, a “Stay”button 410, a “Hit” button 412, a “Bet One Credit” button 414, and a“Bet Max Credits” button 416. The display 400 may also include an area418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. Ifthe display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, thebuttons 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416 may form part of the video display400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as partof a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the video blackjack routine 220 shownschematically in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 10, the video blackjackroutine 220 may begin at block 420 where it may determine whether a bethas been made by the player. That may be determined, for example, bydetecting the activation of either the “Bet One Credit” button 414 orthe “Bet Max Credits” button 416. At block 422, bet data correspondingto the bet made at block 420 may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100. At block 424, a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be“dealt” by making the playing card images 402, 404 appear on the displayunit 70.

At block 426, the player may be allowed to be “hit,” in which case atblock 428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by makinganother playing card image 404 appear in the display 400. If the playeris hit, block 430 may determine if the player has “bust,” or exceeded21. If the player has not bust, blocks 426 and 428 may be performedagain to allow the player to be hit again.

If the player decides not to hit, at block 432 the routine may determinewhether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may bedetermined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealeralways hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits,at block 434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by makinganother playing card image 402 appear in the display 400. At block 436the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer hasnot bust, blocks 432, 434 may be performed again to allow the dealer tobe hit again.

If the dealer does not hit, at block 436 the outcome of the blackjackgame and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example,whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does notexceed 21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout valuecorresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 440. Atblock 442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may beupdated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if theplayer won, the payout value determined at block 440. The cumulativevalue or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 418(FIG. 8).

Slots

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video slotsgame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 11 isan exemplary display 450 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in FIG. 6.Referring to FIG. 11, the display 450 may include video images 452 of aplurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality ofreel symbols 454 associated therewith. Although the display 450 showsfive reel images 452, each of which may have three reel symbols 454 thatare visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized.

To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a pluralityof player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a“Cash Out” button 456, a “See Pays” button 458, a plurality ofpayline-selection buttons 460 each of which allows the player to selecta different number of paylines prior to “spinning” the reels, aplurality of bet-selection buttons 462 each of which allows a player tospecify a wager amount for each payline selected, a “Spin” button 464,and a “Max Bet” button 466 to allow a player to make the maximum wagerallowable.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the slots routine 230 shown schematically inFIG. 11. Referring to FIG. 13, at block 470, the routine may determinewhether the player has requested payout information, such as byactivating the “See Pays” button 458, in which case at block 472 theroutine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the displayunit 70. At block 474, the routine may determine whether the player haspressed one of the payline-selection buttons 460, in which case at block476 data corresponding to the number of paylines selected by the playermay be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 478, theroutine may determine whether the player has pressed one of thebet-selection buttons 462, in which case at block 480 data correspondingto the amount bet per payline may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100. At block 482, the routine may determine whether theplayer has pressed the “Max Bet” button 466, in which case at block 484bet data (which may include both payline data and bet-per-payline data)corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memoryof the controller 100.

If the “Spin” button 464 has been activated by the player as determinedat block 486, at block 488 the routine may cause the slot machine reelimages 452 to begin “spinning” so as to simulate the appearance of aplurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. At block 490, theroutine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reelimages will stop, or the particular symbol images 454 that will bedisplayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning. At block 492, theroutine may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displayingstationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for eachstopped reel image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left toright, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner orsequence.

The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round ifcertain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reelimages 452 of a particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonuscondition as determined at block 494, the routine may proceed to block496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be adifferent game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could beprovided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additionalcredits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined atblock 498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots gameand/or the bonus round may be determined at block 500. At block 502, theplayer's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated bysubtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot gameand/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined at block500.

Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machineroutine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on thedisplay unit 70, actual slot machine reels that are capable of beingspun may be utilized instead, in which case the display unit 70 could beprovided in the form of a plurality of mechanical reels that arerotatable, each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposedthereon.

Video Keno

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video kenogame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 12 isan exemplary display 520 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in FIG. 6.Referring to FIG. 12, the display 520 may include a video image 522 of aplurality of numbers that were selected by the player prior to the startof a keno game and a video image 524 of a plurality of numbers randomlyselected during the keno game. The randomly selected numbers may bedisplayed in a grid pattern.

To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality ofplayer-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a“Cash Out” button 526, a “See Pays” button 528, a “Bet One Credit”button 530, a “Bet Max Credits” button 532, a “Select Ticket” button534, a “Select Number” button 536, and a “Play” button 538. The display520 may also include an area 540 in which the number of remainingcredits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with atouch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as partof a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the video keno routine 240 shown schematicallyin FIG. 6. The keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with asingle gaming unit 20 where a single player is playing a keno game, orthe keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with multiple gamingunits 20 where multiple players are playing a single keno game. In thelatter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performedeither by the controller 100 in each gaming unit or by one of thenetwork computer 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 areoperatively connected.

Referring to FIG. 14, at block 550, the routine may determine whetherthe player has requested payout information, such as by activating the“See Pays” button 528, in which case at block 552 the routine may causeone or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block554, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, suchas by having pressed the “Bet One Credit” button 530 or the “Bet MaxCredits” button 532, in which case at block 556 bet data correspondingto the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100. After the player has made a wager, at block 558 theplayer may select a keno ticket, and at block 560 the ticket may bedisplayed on the display 520. At block 562, the player may select one ormore game numbers, which may be within a range set by the casino. Afterbeing selected, the player's game numbers may be stored in the memory ofthe controller 100 at block 564 and may be included in the image 522 onthe display 520 at block 566. After a certain amount of time, the kenogame may be closed to additional players (where a number of players areplaying a single keno game using multiple gambling units 20).

If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, atblock 570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomlyselected either by the controller 100 or a central computer operativelyconnected to the controller, such as one of the network computers 22,32. At block 572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed onthe display unit 70 and the display units 70 of other gaming units 20(if any) which are involved in the same keno game. At block 574, thecontroller 100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment acount which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected atblock 570.

At block 576, the controller 100 (or one of the network computers 22,32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within therange have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may berandomly selected at block 570. If the maximum number of game numbershas been selected, at block 578 the controller 100 (or a centralcomputer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matchesbetween the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbersselected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number of matchesmay depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particularkeno rules being used.

If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determinedat block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payoutmay depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected bythe player and the game numbers randomly selected at block 570. At block582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updatedby subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno gamewas won, the payout value determined at block 580. The cumulative valueor number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 540 (FIG.12).

Video Bingo

Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video bingogame, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit. FIG. 15 isan exemplary display 600 that may be shown on the display unit 70 duringperformance of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in FIG.6. Referring to FIG. 15, the display 600 may include one or more videoimages 602 of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selectedduring the game. The bingo card images 602 may have a grid pattern.

To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a pluralityof player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a“Cash Out” button 604, a “See Pays” button 606, a “Bet One Credit”button 608, a “Bet Max Credits” button 610, a “Select Card” button 612,and a “Play” button 614. The display 600 may also include an area 616 inwhich the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttonsmay form part of the video display 600. Alternatively, one or more ofthose buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that isprovided separately from the display unit 70.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the video bingo routine 250 shownschematically in FIG. 6. The bingo routine 250 may be utilized inconnection with a single gaming unit 20 where a single player is playinga bingo game, or the bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connectionwith multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players are playing asingle bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts describedbelow may be performed either by the controller 100 in each gaming unit20 or by one of the network computers 22, 32 to which multiple gamingunits 20 are operatively connected.

Referring to FIG. 16, at block 620, the routine may determine whetherthe player has requested payout information, such as by activating the“See Pays” button 606, in which case at block 622 the routine may causeone or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block624, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, suchas by having pressed the “Bet One Credit” button 608 or the “Bet MaxCredits” button 610, in which case at block 626 bet data correspondingto the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100.

After the player has made a wager, at block 628 the player may select abingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select morethan one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cardsthat a player may select. After play is to commence as determined atblock 632, at block 634 a bingo number may be randomly generated by thecontroller 100 or a central computer such as one of the networkcomputers 22, 32. At block 636, the bingo number may be displayed on thedisplay unit 70 and the display units 70 of any other gaming units 20involved in the bingo game.

At block 638, the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determinewhether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, anotherbingo number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player hasbingo as determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640whether the player playing that gaming unit 20 was the winner. If so, atblock 642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout maydepend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there wasa winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than oneplayer), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. At block644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updatedby subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo gamewas won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative valueor number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 616 (FIG.14).

Communication Termination

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a communication session termination routine700 that may be stored in the memory of the controller 100 of the gamingunit 20. The termination routine 700 may be used to automaticallyterminate the bidirectional communication link with the wirelesscommunication device 46, due to inactivity (e.g., the player walkingaway from the gaming unit). Referring to FIG. 17, the terminationroutine 700 may begin operation at block 702 during which a confirmationmessage is transmitted to the wireless communication device 46 toconfirm whether the wireless communication device 46 (and hence theplayer) is within the vicinity of the gaming unit 20. The confirmationmessage may be transmitted periodically during the bidirectionalcommunication session with the wireless communication device 46.

If the wireless communication device 46 provides a response asdetermined at block 704, the bidirectional communication link maycontinue and gaming unit 20 may transmit another confirmation messageafter a predetermined interval. If there is no response from thewireless communication device 46 as determined at block 704, the gamingunit 20 may determine how many times a confirmation has been transmittedwithout a response at block 706. If the number of confirmation requeststhat have been transmitted without a response do not equal apredetermined amount, the gaming unit 20 may continue to transmit aconfirmation and wait for a response. However, if the confirmationmessage has been transmitted without a response for a predeterminednumber of times as determined at block 706, the routine 700 maydetermine whether a credit balance remains on the gaming unit 20 thathas not been downloaded to a player account or to the wirelesscommunication device 46 at block 708.

If no such credits exist, the gaming unit 20 may transmit a message tothe network computer 22 indicating that the player is no longer loggedon to the gaming unit 20. However, if credits exist, as determined atblock 708, gaming unit 20 may determine whether or not the player has anelectronic account at block 710. If so, the gaming unit 20 mayelectronically transmit the credit balance to the player's account atblock 712 and proceed to log the player off of the gaming unit 20 atblock 716. However, if the player does not have an account, the gamingunit 20 may attribute the credit balance to the player identificationand transmit both to a default account at block 714, which may later bereclaimed by the player. The gaming unit 20 may then log the player offof the gaming unit 20 at block 716. Once the player is logged out of thegaming unit 20, the gaming unit 20 may proceed to establish contact withanother wireless communication device 46 (and hence another player).

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an alternative communication sessiontermination routine 750 that may be stored in the memory of thecontroller 100 of the gaming unit 20. The termination routine 750 may beutilized when a player decides to log off the gaming unit 20. Referringto FIG. 18, the termination routine 750 may begin operation at block 752during which the gaming unit 20 may determine whether or not the playerhas decided to log off the gaming unit 20 and terminate thebidirectional communication link. The determination at block 752 may bemade by detecting the cash out option, a quit option, or othertermination option as selected by the player by pressing a button orissuing a voice command. If such a selection is made, as determined atblock 752, any credit balance may be provided to the player by thenumber of options, which may be selected by the player. For example, thegaming unit 20 may dispense cash to the player at block 754 via the coinpayout tray 64, print a ticket voucher 60 which may be redeemed for cashat block 756, or electronically transfer the funds to the playeraccount.

The funds may be electronically transmitted to a player account byrequesting account validation from the wireless communication device 46at block 758. The account validation may relate to an account number, arouting number, a pass code, a voice print analysis, etc., or any otherinformation uniquely identifying the account with the player. Onceprovided, the gaming unit may proceed at block 760 to authenticate theinformation provided at block 758. For example, the gaming unit 20 maycompare the account number and routing number with the playeridentification provided at the beginning of the bidirectionalcommunication session. Alternatively, the gaming unit 20 may compare theinformation to information stored in the network computer 22. If theaccount information has been authenticated, as determined at block 762,the gaming unit 20 may transfer the credit balance to the account atblock 764. Otherwise, the gaming unit 20 may prompt the player to selectanother form of receiving the funds.

Having dispensed the credit balance at blocks 754, 756 or 764, thegaming unit 20 may transmit a message to the player via the wirelesscommunication device 46 and/or the display unit 70, indicating that theplayer is no longer logged onto the gaming unit 20 at block 766. Thegaming unit 20 may then proceed to initiate a new communication sessionwith a nearby wireless communication device 46.

The invention is claimed as follows:
 1. A gaming system comprising: aprocessor; and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions,which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: responsiveto establishing a wireless connection with a first wireless deviceassociated with a first player: receive first data from the firstwireless device, said first data being associated with a first customimage associated with the first player, and cause a display device todisplay the first custom image associated with the first player, andresponsive to establishing a wireless connection with a second,different wireless device associated with a second, different player:receive second data from the second wireless device, said second databeing associated with a second, different custom image associated withthe second, different player, and cause the display device to displaythe second, different custom image associated with the second, differentplayer.
 2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first data isassociated with a first custom audio message associated with the firstplayer and when executed by the processor responsive to establishing thewireless connection with the first wireless device associated with thefirst player, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to causea speaker to play the first custom audio message associated with thefirst player.
 3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the second datais associated with a second, different custom audio message associatedwith the second, different player and when executed by the processorresponsive to establishing the wireless connection with the second,different wireless device associated with the second, different player,the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause the speakerto play the second, different custom audio message associated with thesecond, different player.
 4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein whenexecuted by the processor following the establishment of the wirelessconnection with the first wireless device, the plurality of instructionscause the processor to send a request to the first wireless device toverify a continued presence of the first wireless device within abroadcast range.
 5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein when executedby the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the display deviceto cease displaying the first custom image associated with the firstplayer responsive to the first player has left the broadcast range. 6.The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless devicecomprises a first cellular device and the second wireless devicecomprises a second cellular device
 7. The gaming system of claim 1,wherein the first custom image associated with the first playercomprises a first message and the second, different custom imageassociated with the second, different player comprises a second,different message.
 8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein theprocessor comprises a gaming machine processor.
 9. The gaming system ofclaim 8, wherein the display device comprises a gaming machine displaydevice.
 10. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising anacceptor, and a cashout device, wherein when executed by the processor,the plurality of instructions cause the processor to: responsive to aphysical item being received via the acceptor, establish a creditbalance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with thereceived physical item, and responsive to a cashout input being receivedvia the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associatedwith the credit balance.
 11. A method of operating a gaming system, saidmethod comprising: responsive to establishing a wireless connection witha first wireless device associated with a first player: receiving firstdata from the first wireless device, said first data being associatedwith a first custom image associated with the first player, and causinga display device to display the first custom image associated with thefirst player, and responsive to establishing a wireless connection witha second, different wireless device associated with a second, differentplayer: receiving second data from the second wireless device, saidsecond data being associated with a second, different custom imageassociated with the second, different player, and causing the displaydevice to display the second, different custom image associated with thesecond, different player.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the firstdata is associated with a first custom audio message associated with thefirst player and further comprising, responsive to establishing thewireless connection with the first wireless device associated with thefirst player, causing a speaker to play the first custom audio messageassociated with the first player.
 13. The method of claim 12, whereinthe second data is associated with a second, different custom audiomessage associated with the second, different player and furthercomprising, responsive to establishing the wireless connection with thesecond, different wireless device associated with the second, differentplayer, causing the speaker to play the second, different custom audiomessage associated with the second, different player.
 14. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising, following the establishment of thewireless connection with the first wireless device, sending a request tothe first wireless device to verify a continued presence of the firstwireless device within a broadcast range.
 15. The method of claim 14,further comprising ceasing to display, by the display device, the firstcustom image associated with the first player responsive to the firstplayer has left the broadcast range.
 16. The method of claim 11, whereinthe first custom image associated with the first player comprises afirst message and the second, different custom image associated with thesecond, different player comprises a second, different message.
 17. Themethod of claim 11, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on anyawards associated with any plays of any games displayed by the displaydevice, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of aphysical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balancebeing decreasable via a cashout device.
 18. The method of claim 11,which is provided through a data network.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein the data network is at least one of: an internet, a cellularnetwork, and a wireless data network.